Kira notices that the Singer of the Ruin Song wears a heavy chain that restricts his movements and causes him to leave a trail of blood wherever he walks. When Kira sees this, she realizes that she is no better off than the Singer. In spite of her pampered lifestyle, she’s imprisoned in the Council Edifice, forced to create art—in her case, a robe—that doesn’t reflect what she feels or believes. It’s important to note that even after she realizes this, Kira agrees to remain in the Edifice, working on her own, secret version of the robe. Unlikely as it sounds, perhaps it’s possible to fight the Council—and any tyrannical system—while still appearing to be a slave to that system.
The Singer’s Chain Quotes in Gathering Blue
The Gathering Blue quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Singer’s Chain. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 23
Quotes
The three of them — the new little Singer who would one day take the chained Singer's place; Thomas the Carver, who with his meticulous tools wrote the history of the world; and she herself, the one who colored that history — they were the artists who could create the future.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Gathering Blue LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Singer’s Chain Symbol Timeline in Gathering Blue
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Singer’s Chain appears in Gathering Blue. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 23
...blood behind him. Kira also saw why: he was wearing ankle cuffs and a heavy chain.
(full context)
